Charge / discharge device for secondary batteries

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to easily, quickly, and safely attach / detach and assemble power supply boards of a power supply unit constituting a charge / discharge device for secondary batteries, and significantly improves the practicality and safety of maintenance, etc. A charge / discharge device for secondary batteries comprises a power supply unit 1 disposed above a battery container 50 that accommodates a plurality of batteries 60 to be inspected, and can charge / discharge the batteries 60 by using the power supply unit 1. The power supply unit 1 includes: a plurality of power supply boards 20 which come into contact with the respective batteries 60 in the battery container 50 from above to execute predetermined charging / discharging; a power supply case 10 which can accommodate the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a hanging state at predetermined positions corresponding to the respective batteries 60 in the battery container 50; and a guide means 30 which attachably / detachably guides the plurality of power supply boards 20 in the hanging state in the power supply case 10. By using the guide means 30, each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 is held in the hanging state in the power supply case 10 so as to be attachable / detachable without falling off.

Description

Charge / discharge device for secondary batteries

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery charging / discharging device that charges and discharges secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones, electric vehicles, etc. for activation and quality inspection.

[0002] Today, demand for secondary batteries, which are used in IT devices such as smartphones and electric vehicles, is rapidly increasing. In the final process of mass-production factories for these types of secondary batteries, charging and discharging devices are widely used to activate and inspect the produced secondary batteries. The use of such charging and discharging devices has made it possible to mechanize the activation and quality inspection of secondary batteries, which previously had been done manually, thereby contributing to the realization of mass production of secondary batteries.

[0003] In general, the above-described charging / discharging device performs predetermined charging / discharging of the secondary battery to be tested via a power supply unit having a plurality of power supply boards corresponding to the plurality of secondary batteries. The power supply unit of the charging / discharging device is housed in a power supply case that serves as a housing, and the plurality of power supply boards that contact the multiple secondary batteries from above to charge / discharge are housed in a power supply case that serves as a housing, and the charge / discharge test is performed by contacting the secondary batteries from above with contact pins on the bottom side of the power supply boards.

[0004] The multiple power supply boards housed in the power supply case are stored in the internal space of the power supply board when the charge / discharge device is manufactured and installed, but when maintenance is required depending on the subsequent usage conditions, period of use, etc., they are removed from the power supply case so that necessary inspections, repairs, etc. Known technologies related to power supply units for such secondary battery charge / discharge devices include, for example, the "multi-channel charge / discharge power supply with contact function" disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0005] Patent No. 6470804

[0006] Such conventional charge / discharge devices for secondary batteries have room for improvement, particularly in terms of ease of attachment, detachment, and assembly during maintenance of the power supply board of the power supply unit.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries that allows the power supply board of a power supply unit that constitutes a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries to be attached, detached, and assembled easily, quickly, and safely, thereby significantly improving the workability and safety of maintenance, etc., and is particularly suitable for power supply units that are so-called cable-less / fixture-integrated types, etc., in which the contact pins of the power supply board can be directly contacted with the secondary battery to be tested.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries, which comprises a power supply unit arranged above a battery container that houses multiple secondary batteries to be inspected, and which is capable of performing predetermined charging and discharging on the secondary batteries using the power supply unit, and which comprises a plurality of power supply boards that contact each secondary battery in the battery container from above and perform the predetermined charging and discharging, a power supply case that can accommodate the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state at predetermined positions corresponding to each secondary battery in the battery container, and guide means that guides the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case so that they can be attached and detached, and so that they cannot fall off, while suspended within the power supply case.

[0009] The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to the present invention allows the power supply board of the power supply unit that constitutes the secondary battery charging / discharging device to be attached, detached, and assembled easily, quickly, and safely, significantly improving the workability and safety of maintenance, etc. Therefore, it is possible to provide a secondary battery charging / discharging device that is particularly suitable for a power supply unit of the so-called cableless type / fixture integrated type, etc., in which the contact pins of the power supply board can be directly contacted with the secondary battery to be tested.

[0010] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a disassembled power supply case, a power supply board, and a battery container of a secondary battery charging / discharging device that is the premise of the present invention. The overall configuration of the power supply case and power supply board of the secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in FIG. 1 is shown, with (a) being a schematic perspective view of the assembled state, and (b) being a see-through view thereof. The overall configuration of the power supply case, power supply board, and battery container of the secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in FIG. 1 is shown, with (a) being a schematic perspective view of the state before the power supply board comes into contact with the battery, and (b) being a schematic perspective view of the state after contact. A schematic plan view and a front view showing the overall configuration of a cylindrical battery that is the secondary battery to be inspected in the present invention. A schematic perspective view showing the assembly process of the power supply case and power supply board of the secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in FIG. 1. A schematic perspective view showing the state in which the power supply board falls off from the power supply case of the secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in FIG. 1. A schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the power supply case and power supply board of a secondary battery charging / discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a power supply board of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematic front view showing a power supply case and a power supply board of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 8 is a schematic front view showing a power supply board of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 7, with (a) being a schematic front view and (b) being a side view.

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a description will be given of embodiments embodying a secondary battery charging / discharging device according to the present invention, for the purpose of understanding the present invention. The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to the present invention is a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries that performs predetermined charging / discharging processes on produced secondary batteries in the final process of a secondary battery mass production factory, for example, for the purpose of activating and inspecting the quality of secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones and electric vehicles.

[0012] Specifically, the secondary battery charging / discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention is used, for example, in activating and inspecting the quality of secondary batteries (test batteries; hereinafter, simply referred to as "batteries") such as manufactured lithium-ion batteries, and is a device for simultaneously charging and discharging multiple secondary batteries in multiple test channels. First, with reference to Figures 1-6, the secondary battery charging / discharging device that is the premise of the present invention will be described, including the problems to be solved.

[0013] Typically, battery production plants use a charging / discharging test (charge / discharge testing) process to activate initial batteries. This test involves repeatedly charging and discharging batteries at a predetermined current, voltage, and temperature. This is one of the most important processes in determining the quality of lithium-ion batteries. This advanced technology requires highly accurate charge / discharge testing capabilities, excellent safety, and energy efficiency. By performing this highly accurate test, the cells that make up the lithium-ion batteries installed in the test process can be charged and discharged with high precision, allowing for the accumulation and analysis of data on the performance and safety of each cell. Then, by classifying the finished cells based on this analytical data, safer and higher-performance lithium-ion batteries can be brought to market.

[0014] Charging / discharging devices used for such charging / discharging tests typically electrically connect the output terminal of a power supply circuit to a battery via a cable. However, such cable-connected charging / discharging devices have drawbacks, such as heat generation from the cable, noise caused by cable routing, and power loss due to increased resistance caused by long cables. To reduce the power consumption of such cables, methods have been proposed that eliminate the use of cables or minimize the length of the cables. For example, a current output pin is provided on the power supply circuit board (power supply board) and directly contacts the battery. This type of charging / discharging device is called a "cableless system" or "fixture-integrated system."

[0015] A secondary battery charging / discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention employs a structure and device known as a "cableless / fixture-integrated" device, which allows direct contact between the electrode pins of the power supply unit that charges and discharges the battery under test. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the disassembled power supply case, power supply board, and battery container that constitute the "cableless / fixture-integrated" (hereinafter simply referred to as "integrated") secondary battery charging / discharging device that is the premise of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the overall configuration of the power supply case and power supply board shown in Figure 1, with (a) being a schematic perspective view of the assembled state and (b) being a see-through view. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the overall configuration of the power supply case, power supply board, and battery container, with (a) being a schematic perspective view of the state before the power supply board contacts the battery, and (b) being a schematic perspective view of the state after contact.

[0016] The secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in these figures is used for activation and quality inspection of produced batteries (secondary batteries) 60 such as lithium ion batteries, and is capable of simultaneously charging and discharging a plurality of batteries 60. Specifically, the secondary battery charging / discharging device of this embodiment includes a power supply unit 1 disposed above a battery container 50 that houses a plurality of batteries 60 to be inspected, and is capable of performing predetermined charging and discharging of the plurality of batteries 60 using the power supply unit 1.

[0017] [Power Supply Unit] The power supply unit 1 includes a plurality of power supply boards 20 that contact each battery 60 in a battery container 50 from above and perform predetermined charging and discharging, and a power supply case 10 that can accommodate the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a suspended state at predetermined positions corresponding to each battery 60 in the battery container 50, thereby constituting an "integrated" charging and discharging device that can bring the electrode pins 21 of the power supply boards 20 into direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the batteries 60. The present embodiment is characterized by including guide means 30 that detachably guides the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a suspended state within the power supply case 10. This guide means will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 7-10.

[0018] [Power Supply Case] ​​The power supply case 10 is a housing for accommodating and holding a plurality of power supply boards 20, and in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, has a shape with openings on the front and bottom sides. This allows the plurality of power supply boards 20 to be inserted from the front side of the power supply case 10, and a plurality of parallel power supply boards 20 are accommodated, with the bottom surface of each power supply board 20 exposed from the bottom side of the power supply case 10. Furthermore, each power supply board 20 inserted and accommodated in the power supply case 10 has a connector 22 at the leading end in the insertion direction that fits and connects to a connector (not shown) located at the rear end of the power supply case 10, and a screw hole 23 at the trailing end in the insertion direction that is screwed and fixed to a tap 11 and a screw 12 on the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0019] This allows the multiple power supply boards 20 to be housed in a suspended state at predetermined positions within the power supply case 10 and to be detachably removed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1-3, eight power supply boards 20 are inserted into the power supply case 10 at predetermined positions with predetermined intervals between them, and are housed and held in a suspended state.

[0020] The power supply case 10 also has an opening on the bottom side, and the bottom side of each of the multiple power supply boards 20 housed and fixed in the power supply case 10 is exposed from the power supply case 10, so that the multiple electrode pins 21 provided on the bottom side of the power supply board 20 are exposed and protrude from the bottom side of the power supply case 10. As a result, the multiple electrode pins 21 of each power supply board 20 come into direct contact and are electrically connected at predetermined positions to the multiple batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50 arranged below the power supply unit 1, without the need for cables or the like.

[0021] Note that the power supply case 10 is not particularly limited in other configurations and structures as long as it has a space large enough to accommodate a predetermined number of power supply boards 20, the power supply boards 20 can be inserted and removed from the front side, and the electrode pins 21 of the power supply boards 20 can be exposed and protruded from the bottom side. Therefore, the power supply case 10 is provided with the configurations and structures required for the power supply unit 1, including the connector (not shown) at the back end of the case described above, in the same way as a normal secondary battery charge / discharge device.

[0022] [Power Supply Board] The power supply board 20 is a power supply circuit board that contacts each battery 60 in the battery container 50 from above and performs predetermined charging and discharging. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1-3, the power supply board 20 is made of a board formed in a plate shape, and each power supply board 20 is inserted into the above-mentioned power supply case 10 from the front side in the depth direction, and is accommodated and aligned in a multiple side-by-side state.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1-2, each power supply board 20 is provided with a connector 22 at the tip side in the case insertion direction (the rear end side of the case), and when each power supply board 20 is inserted and housed in the power supply case 10, the connector 22 is fitted and connected to a connector (not shown) located at the rear end side of the power supply case 10, and a predetermined charge and discharge process is performed under the control of a control means (charge and discharge controller) not shown. It goes without saying that, although not specifically shown in Fig. 1-3, the board surface (front / back side) of each power supply board 20 is mounted with the electronic components and battery circuits required to perform the predetermined charge and discharge process for the battery 60.

[0024] Each power supply board 20 has a protruding screw hole 23 at the rear end in the insertion direction that faces and abuts against the upper edge of the opening on the front side of the power supply case 10, and this screw hole 23 is adapted to be screwed and fixed to the tap 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10 with a screw 12. This allows a predetermined number of power supply boards 20 to be stored in a suspended state at predetermined positions within the power supply case 10 and to be detachably removed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, eight power supply boards 20 are detachably stored and fixed at predetermined positions in the power supply case 10.

[0025] The power supply board 20 is also provided with a plurality of electrode pins 21 on its bottom side that can come into contact with the batteries in the battery container 50. The electrode pins 21 are connected to the positive and negative electrodes 61 and 62 (see FIG. 4 ) of the batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50, which will be described later, and are configured as, for example, a pair of positive and negative contact pins or a plurality of positive and negative contact pins (multiple pairs), and in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1-3 , each power supply board 20 has seven electrode pins 21 (seven pairs) protruding from the case insertion direction at predetermined positions and at predetermined intervals, corresponding to the number of batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50.

[0026] When each power supply board 20 is housed and fixed in the power supply case 10, the plurality of electrode pins 21 are exposed and protrude downward from an opening on the bottom side of the power supply case 10, so that the plurality of electrode pins 21 of each power supply board 20 can directly contact and electrically connect at predetermined positions with the plurality of batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50 disposed below the power supply unit 1. Note that if both electrodes (positive and negative) of the battery 60 are not provided on the top surface of the battery, for example, if one of the electrodes 60 is provided on the bottom surface of the battery, one of the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 can be brought into contact with and connected to the electrode of the battery 60 via, for example, a cable harness so as to be in contact with the electrode (positive or negative) on the bottom surface of the battery 60. Therefore, the number, configuration, and mode of the electrode pins 21 can be appropriately adjusted depending on the arrangement and configuration of the electrodes of the connected battery 60.

[0027] [Battery Container / Battery] The battery container 50 is a container that houses multiple batteries 60 to be inspected in a secondary battery charging / discharging device, and is also called a tray or pallet. Specifically, the battery container 50 is configured as a container with a storage space that is open on the top side, and a predetermined number of batteries 60 can be arranged in a vertical and horizontal plane. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , cylindrical secondary batteries (cylindrical batteries) can be arranged as the batteries 60 in 8 columns vertically (depth direction in the drawing) and 7 columns horizontally (left and right direction in the drawing) = a total of 56 batteries, arranged at predetermined intervals.

[0028] The battery 60 housed in the battery container 50 is a secondary battery (lithium ion battery) to be inspected by the secondary battery charging / discharging device, and is configured to perform predetermined charging / discharging by contacting the electrodes 21 of the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1. Specifically, the secondary battery charging / discharging device is equipped with a lifting means / lifting mechanism (not shown), a so-called mechanical unit, into which the battery container 50 housing the battery 60 is inserted and placed. The lifting action of the lifting means moves and raises the placed battery container 50 upward, and at a predetermined position, it comes into contact with the electrodes 21 of the power supply board 20, thereby performing the charging / discharging process. After the charging / discharging process is completed, the lifting action of the lifting means moves and lowers the battery container downward, releasing it from contact with the electrodes 21 of the power supply board 20. The battery container 50 can then be removed from its placement position on the lifting means, and the battery 60, whose charging / discharging has been completed, can be removed from the battery container 50.

[0029] Figure 3(a) shows a state in which a battery container 50 containing a battery 60 is mounted and placed at a predetermined position on an elevator means (not shown) below the power supply case 10, and the battery container 50 moves up and down by operating the elevator means. Figure 3(b) shows a state in which the battery container 50 has risen upward and is combined with the power supply unit 1. In this state, the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 come into direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the battery 60, enabling current transmission from the power supply board 20 to the battery.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows an example of a battery 60 housed in the battery container 50 described above. The battery 60 shown in the figure is an example of a cylindrical battery (cylindrical battery), with a protrusion in the center of the top surface of the battery being a positive electrode 61 and almost the entire remaining surface (top surface) being a negative electrode 62. The electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 of the battery unit 1 located above this battery 60 contact and electrically connect to the positive and negative electrodes 61 and 62 of the battery 60, respectively, thereby performing a predetermined charging and discharging process on the battery 60. As described above, the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 may be configured as a pair of positive and negative contact pins, a plurality of positive and negative contact pins (multiple pairs), or a plurality of contact pins with different numbers of positive and negative pins, and may be set and configured to correspond to the electrodes of the battery 60 to be inspected.

[0031] Here, the batteries to be inspected by the power supply unit 1 (secondary battery charging / discharging device) according to this embodiment come in a variety of types (shapes and structures), including a cylindrical battery 60 shown in Figure 4, and generally include cylindrical, prismatic, and laminated batteries as described below. In this embodiment, a cylindrical battery 60 is illustrated and described, but the shape and structure of the battery are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that batteries of other shapes (prismatic / laminated) can also be used as the object of inspection by the secondary battery charging / discharging device according to this invention.

[0032] [Cylindrical Type] Cylindrical type batteries are cylindrical batteries, such as 18650 / 21700 batteries, and as shown in Figure 1, are most suitable for the "integrated" power supply unit 1. The contact between the power supply board 20 (electrode pins 21) and the battery 60 is typically a probe pin. [Square Type] Square type batteries are rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and can be used with the "integrated" power supply unit 1. However, since the battery shape varies depending on the battery's application and intended use, a corresponding adjustment may be required on the power supply unit 1 side. The contact between the power supply board 20 and the battery 60 is typically a probe pin. Depending on the battery, a pressure restraining mechanism or jig may be required to ensure contact with the probe pin. [Laminate Type] Laminate type batteries are pouch-shaped and cannot be directly connected to the "integrated" power supply unit 1 like cylindrical batteries. A harness or other device is required, but this can be accommodated through improvements and development. The contact between the power supply board 20 and the battery 60 is generally made by a dedicated clip, which increases the amount of wiring compared to square and cylindrical types, which leads to increased costs.

[0033] [Attachment / Removal / Assembly Procedure] In the "integrated" secondary battery charging / discharging device configured as described above, the work process for attaching / detaching / attaching a power supply board 20 to / from the power supply case 10 in the power supply unit 1 shown in Fig. 1, which is the premise of the present invention, and the problems that arise when doing so will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. First, each of the multiple power supply boards 20 is attached to the power supply case 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the attachment method is as follows: the power supply board 20 is inserted from the front side of the power supply case 10, and the connector 22 at the leading end of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction is fitted and connected to the connector at the rear end of the power supply case 10, and in this state, the power supply board 20 is screwed to the top of the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0034] Specifically, each power supply board 20 has a protruding screw hole 23 at the rear end in the insertion direction that faces and abuts against the upper edge of the opening on the front side of the power supply case 10, and this screw hole 23 is screwed and fixed to the tap 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10 via a screw 12. This mounting operation is performed sequentially for a predetermined number of power supply boards 20 (eight in this embodiment).

[0035] However, the work of attaching and screwing such a power supply board 20 to the power supply case 10 requires the worker to hold the power supply board 20 in his / her hand and keep it suspended in mid-air at all times. However, considering the weight and structure of the power supply board 20, holding such a power supply board 20 is an extremely difficult operation and task, placing a heavy burden on the worker and, in the worst case, potentially causing the power supply board 20 to fall off. As described above, in an "integrated" secondary battery charging / discharging device, the lower part of the power supply case 10 constituting the power supply unit 1 must have exposed electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 in order to connect directly to the battery 60 below without a cable. For this reason, the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1 is designed so that there is no support or bracket at the bottom (see FIG. 5 ).

[0036] In this state, if an attempt is made to remove or attach the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, for example, for maintenance, the above-mentioned difficulty in holding the power supply board 20 and the risk of it falling or dropping occur. Specifically, maintenance of the power supply board 20 involves removing the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, performing any necessary inspections or part replacements, and then returning the power supply board 20 to its original position in the power supply case 10 and storing and securing it once that is complete. To remove or attach the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, as shown in FIG. 5, it is necessary to remove and tighten the screws 12 at the top front of the top panel of the power supply case 10 that secure the power supply board 20. At that time, the lower part of the power supply board 20 is open and unsupported.

[0037] For this reason, if a worker removes the screws 12 without supporting the power supply board 20, the power supply board 20 will fall, as shown in Figure 6. If the power supply board 20 falls, the power supply board 20 itself may be damaged, the worker may be injured, and if there is a battery container 50 underneath, the batteries 60 may be damaged, which could lead to a fire. To prevent such an event, the worker must support the power supply board 20 with one hand, work with multiple workers, or use some other means or method to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling, while simultaneously installing, removing, and fastening the screws 12.

[0038] This problem occurs not only when removing the power supply board 20, but also when attaching the power supply board 20 to the power supply case 10 after maintenance or the like has been completed. In particular, recent power supply boards have become very heavy due to the integration of many components, making maintenance work extremely difficult and dangerous, and posing a major problem. Therefore, in this embodiment, the following structure and configuration of guide means 30 is provided to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling when attaching or detaching the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, even if the worker does not support the lower part of the power supply board 20 with one hand.

[0039] [Guide Means] Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the power supply case 10 and power supply board 20 equipped with the guide means 30 according to this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the power supply board 20 equipped with the guide means 30 shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematic front view of the power supply case 10 and power supply board 20 similarly equipped with the guide means 30. Fig. 10 is a schematic front view and Fig. 10 is a side view showing the power supply board 20 similarly equipped with the guide means 30.

[0040] As shown in these figures, guide means 30 is a means / mechanism for guiding the multiple power supply boards 20 in a detachable state while suspended within the power supply case 10. By providing this guide means 30, the multiple power supply boards 20 are held detachably and unable to fall off while suspended within the power supply case 10. Therefore, when attaching or detaching a power supply board 20 during maintenance of the power supply unit 1, there is no risk of the power supply board 20 falling off or dropping, and the worker can use both hands freely, making it possible to significantly improve the workability and safety of attachment, detachment, and assembly.

[0041] 7, the guide means 30 is configured by an engaging structure that can be engaged with each other and is provided on the upper edge side of each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 and inside the power supply case 10 corresponding to each of the plurality of power supply boards 20. Specifically, the engaging structure that constitutes the guide means 30 is configured by a protrusion 31 and a rail portion 32 that can be engaged with each other, as shown in FIGS.

[0042] The protrusions 31 are members that extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of each of the multiple power supply boards 20 and protrude from both sides of the power supply board 20. The protrusions 31 can be formed, for example, by a pair of L-shaped longitudinal members that are fixed to both sides of the upper edge of the power supply board 20 along the longitudinal direction of the board and that form a T-shape (see FIG. 9 ) together with the front surface of the power supply board 20 in a front view. The rails 32 are rail members that are provided on the inner ceiling surface of the power supply case 10 and can engage with the protrusions 31. The rails 32 can be formed, for example, by a pair of L-shaped rail members that are fixed to the inside of the top surface of the power supply case 10 along the longitudinal direction of the case and that form a downward C-shape (see FIG. 9 ) together with the top surface of the power supply case 10 in a front view.

[0043] Here, the protrusion 31 preferably has a predetermined length at the upper edge of the power supply board 20 that is shorter than the entire longitudinal length of the power supply board 20, with both ends terminating on the inside longitudinal side of the power supply board 20. Furthermore, the rail portion 32 preferably has a predetermined length at the inside of the top surface of the power supply case 10 that is slightly shorter than the entire longitudinal length of the power supply case 10, with both ends terminating on the inside longitudinal side of the power supply case 10. Furthermore, the end of the protrusion 31 on the leading end side in the insertion direction is preferably rounded or tapered. By doing so, when the power supply board 20 is inserted from the front of the power supply case 10, the leading end of the protrusion 31 in the insertion direction can be easily mounted and engaged with the end of the rail portion 32. After that, the power supply board 20 can be inserted and housed in the power supply case 10 simply by sliding the power supply board 20 toward the back of the power supply case 10.

[0044] The engagement structure constituting the guide means 30 described above may also include positioning means for holding each of the multiple power supply boards 20 in a suspended state at a predetermined position within the power supply case 10. The positioning means may be, for example, a protrusion provided on each of the multiple power supply boards 20 that abuts against the rail portion 32 at a predetermined position within the power supply case 10. Specifically, a protrusion such as a bolt may be provided on the rear end of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction, which abuts against the end of the rail portion 32 when the power supply board 20 is in the storage position, thereby restricting the insertion and sliding movement of the power supply board 20. This allows the power supply board 20 to be positioned at a predetermined position in the insertion direction (horizontal direction) within the power supply case 10.

[0045] Furthermore, a protrusion such as a bolt can be provided at the leading end of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction, which abuts and clamps the rail portion 32 from above and below together with the protrusion 31. This allows the power supply board 20 to be positioned at a predetermined position in the height direction (vertical direction) within the power supply case 10. By providing such a positioning means, the insertion operation of the power supply board 20 into the power supply case 10 can be performed more easily and smoothly. Furthermore, by simply sliding the power supply board 20 toward the back of the power supply case 10, the power supply board 20 can be stopped and positioned at a predetermined position within the power supply case 10, making the insertion / removal and attachment / detachment of the power supply board 20 easier and more efficient.

[0046] As described above, the guide means 30 provided in the power supply unit 1 according to this embodiment is configured like a kind of "hanging monorail" by providing a rail mechanism (engagement structure) that engages the lower part of the top plate of the power supply case 10 and the upper part of the power supply board 20, allowing the power supply board 20 to be suspended and slid back and forth, as shown in Figures 7-10. A specific example of this rail mechanism in this embodiment is a (downward) C-shaped rail (see Figure 9) on the lower part of the top plate of the power supply case 10, and a T-shaped rail (see Figures 8 and 10) on the upper part of the power supply board 20. Note that the structure of the engagement structure (protrusion 31 and rail portion 32) is exaggerated in Figures 8-10 to make it easier to understand.

[0047] By providing such protrusions 31 and rails 32, the power supply board 20 can be attached to and detached from the power supply case 10 simply by sliding it, and there is no risk of the power supply board 20 falling off. After the power supply board 20 is slid into the power supply case 10, as in the conventional secondary battery charge / discharge device described above (see FIG. 5 ), screws 12 are threaded into the screw holes 23 of each power supply board 20 and into the taps 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10, and the power supply board 20 is fixed to the power supply case 10. Furthermore, when removing the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, the screws 12 fixing the power supply board 20 are released, and then the power supply board 20 can be easily removed from the power supply case 10 by simply sliding the power supply board 20 toward the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0048] The guide means 30 of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described engagement structure and rail shape, and may have other configurations and mechanisms as long as they can hold and slide the power supply board 20 in the power supply case 10. For example, in the above-described guide means 30, both the protrusion 31 on the power supply board 20 side and the rail portion 32 on the power supply case 10 side are configured as continuous straight lines without any breaks, but the protrusion 31 can also be configured as a discontinuous protrusion or convex portion with a break, for example. In this way, the material of the protrusion 31 can be saved, which makes it possible to reduce costs and prevent an increase in the weight of the power supply board 20.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described guide means 30, protrusions 31 protruding from both sides of the power supply board 20 are provided as an engagement structure for engaging with the rails 32 on the power supply case 10 side, but it is also possible to provide an engagement structure by providing, for example, a groove on the upper edge of the power supply board 20 with which the rails 32 can engage. That is, the guide means of the present invention can be any shape or form, such as an arbitrary uneven structure, as long as it is an engagement structure that is provided on the upper edge side of the power supply board 20 and on the inside of the power supply case 10 corresponding to the power supply board 20 and is capable of engaging with each other.

[0050] As explained above, according to the secondary battery charge / discharge device of one embodiment of the present invention, the multiple power supply boards 20 housed in the power supply case 10 of the power supply unit 1 are held in a detachable and undetachable state suspended within the power supply case 10 via the guide means 30. This eliminates the risk of the power supply boards 20 accidentally falling off or dropping when attaching or detaching the power supply boards 20 during maintenance of the power supply unit 1, and also allows the worker to use both hands, greatly improving the ease of attachment, detachment, and assembly.

[0051] In conventional power supply units 1, the power supply board 20 was simply fixed and held in the power supply case 10 by screws, so the worker performing the installation and removal work had to support the power supply board 20 with their free hand, have multiple people hold the power supply board 20, or take some other measure to ensure that the power supply board 20 does not fall out of the power supply case 10, while at the same time loosening (or tightening) the screws securing the power supply board 20. As a result, it was necessary to always pay close attention to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling out or dropping, and installing and removing the power supply board 20 itself was a difficult and time-consuming task, which significantly impaired the ease and efficiency of the overall maintenance of the power supply unit 1 and also posed a risk of injury to the worker.

[0052] In contrast, in the secondary battery charging / discharging device of the present invention, the multiple power supply boards 20 can be held and stored in a detachable and undetachable suspended state in the power supply case 10 by the guide means 30, and the power supply boards 20 can be held in the power supply case 10 without falling off even if the worker lets go of them, allowing the worker to use both hands freely. Therefore, according to the present invention, the multiple power supply boards 20 can be easily, quickly, and safely attached, detached, and assembled, and the workability and safety of maintenance of the secondary battery charging / discharging device / power supply unit 1 can be greatly improved.

[0053] The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to the present embodiment described above includes a physical electrical circuit (not shown) and a computer that executes predetermined processes, means, and functions according to instructions in a program (software) in place of the physical electrical circuit, as control means (charge / discharge controller) for executing and controlling predetermined charge / discharge processes using the power supply unit 1. The program sends commands to each component of the computer, causing the power supply unit 1 to perform the predetermined charge / discharge processes, functions, etc. according to the present invention. Therefore, each process, means, and function of the power supply unit 1 according to the present invention can be realized by specific means in which the program and the computer work together.

[0054] Here, all or part of the program may be provided on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, semiconductor memory, or any other suitable medium, and the program may be read from the recording medium and installed on a computer for execution. Alternatively, the program may be loaded directly into a computer via a communication line and executed without using a recording medium. The computer controlling the power supply unit 1 according to the present invention may be configured as a single information processing device (e.g., a single personal computer) or multiple information processing devices (e.g., a group of multiple server computers).

[0055] Specifically, the information processing device constituting the power control means (charge / discharge controller) of the present invention is composed of hardware including, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, HDD, input device, display device, and communication interface. These components are connected by a system bus, and data is exchanged via the system bus. The CPU (Central Processing Unit), also known as the central processing unit, is the central processing part of the computer, controlling each device and calculating and processing data. RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of memory device that allows data to be erased and rewritten. ROM (Read Only Memory) is a type of memory device that uses semiconductors, etc., and data is written only once during manufacturing, and can only be read when used. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is an auxiliary storage device that uses the properties of magnetic materials to record and read information. The input device is used by the user to give operating instructions to the computer or to input characters, etc., and specifically consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc. The display device is composed of, for example, an LCD display, etc. Each device in this system may be equipped with a touch panel function that combines an input device and a display device. It may also be equipped with a communication function (communication IF) that enables communication with other terminals, information processing devices, etc. The communication IF (Interface) is a device for communicating with other devices according to a predetermined communication standard, and includes, for example, a network interface card (NIC).

[0056] While the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described using a "cableless / fixture-integrated" configuration of the secondary battery charging / discharging device in which the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1 are in direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the test object 60. However, the present invention is not particularly limited in terms of the connection structure between the power supply unit and the battery, as long as the power supply board is placed and housed in a suspended state within the power supply unit. Therefore, the present invention can also be suitably applied to (normal) charging / discharging devices in which the output terminal of the power supply circuit and the battery are electrically connected by a cable, as long as the power supply board is held in a suspended state so that it can be attached and detached.

[0057] Furthermore, with regard to the guide means 30 described in the above embodiment, the configuration of the rail portion 32 provided on the power supply case 10 side can also be provided, for example, on a rack or stand for temporary storage of the power supply board 20. As described above, when performing maintenance on the power supply unit 1, the power supply board 20 is removed from the power supply case 10 and necessary inspections, repairs, etc. are carried out. Also, in the manufacturing process of the power supply board 20, necessary work is carried out with the power supply board 20 removed from the power supply case 10. In such cases, the power supply board 20 may be attached to, for example, a rack or stand for temporary storage until it is finally housed in the power supply case 10, and it is desirable that such a rack or stand be able to hold and temporarily store the power supply board 20 in a suspended state, similar to the power supply case 10 described above.

[0058] Therefore, as a rack or stand for such temporary storage, a rack or stand having an engagement structure similar to that of the rail portion 32 that can detachably guide the power supply board 20 equipped with the protrusion 31 and positioning means of the guide means 30 according to the present invention in a suspended state and hold it so that it cannot fall off, can be used, similar to the power supply case 10 described above. By using a rack or stand having a configuration similar to that of the guide means 30 and engagement structure, temporary storage of the power supply board 20 can be performed easily, safely, and quickly, and maintenance of the power supply unit 1 can be performed more efficiently.

[0059] The present invention can be suitably used as a secondary battery charging / discharging device that charges and discharges secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones, electric vehicles, etc., for activation and quality inspection.

[0060] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 power supply unit (secondary battery charge / discharge device) 10 power supply case 11 tap 20 power supply board 21 electrode pin 22 connector 23 screw hole 30 guide means 31 protrusion 32 rail portion 50 battery container 60 battery (cylindrical battery) 61 positive electrode 62 negative electrode

Claims

1. A charging / discharging device for secondary batteries, comprising a power supply unit arranged above a battery container that houses multiple secondary batteries to be inspected, and capable of performing predetermined charging and discharging of the secondary batteries using the power supply unit, wherein the power supply unit comprises: multiple power supply boards that contact each secondary battery in the battery container from above and perform the predetermined charging and discharging; a power supply case that can house the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state at predetermined positions corresponding to each secondary battery in the battery container; and guide means that detachably guide the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case, wherein the guide means holds each of the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case so that they can be detached and cannot fall off.

2. The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide means comprises an engaging structure that is provided on the upper edge side of each of the plurality of power supply boards and inside the power supply case corresponding to each of the plurality of power supply boards and that can be engaged with each other.

3. A charging / discharging device for secondary batteries as described in claim 2, characterized in that the engagement structure comprises: protrusions extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of each of the plurality of power supply boards and protruding from both sides of the power supply board; and rails provided on the inner ceiling surface of the power supply case with which the protrusions can engage.

4. The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to claim 3, characterized in that the engagement structure comprises positioning means for holding each of the plurality of power supply boards in a suspended state at a predetermined position within the power supply case.

5. The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to claim 4, characterized in that the positioning means comprises a protrusion provided on each of the plurality of power supply boards that abuts against the rail portion at a predetermined position within the power supply case.

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